Build patterns for surfaces of a three-dimensionally printed object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017113409-A1
Application number	US-201615331290-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 27, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Linear lengths of build material are initially deposited spaced apart from one another, with the resulting gaps or offsets filled in by subsequent deposition passes. In this manner, each straight length of material can cool independently before bonding to other adjacent lengths of material, thereby avoiding or mitigating non-axial stresses on each linear length of material as it cools.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forming a portion of an object being fabricated in a three-dimensional fabrication process, comprising:
depositing build material around a two-dimensional cross-section of the object at a first z-axis height thereby forming a border of the object; depositing a first plurality of lengths of build material within the border, the first plurality of lengths spaced apart by a predetermined distance such that there is a gap disposed between each length included in the first plurality of lengths; and depositing a second plurality of lengths of build material including individual lengths deposited in the gaps disposed between each length in the first plurality of lengths to create a substantially closed surface within the border.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of lengths are consecutively deposited to span the border, and wherein the second plurality of lengths are consecutively deposited after the first plurality of lengths.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of lengths and the second plurality of lengths are deposited such that no consecutively deposited lengths of build material are located directly adjacent to one another.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each gap separates the lengths included in the first plurality of lengths by a predetermined distance that is less than a known width of a solidified length of build material.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each length in the second plurality of lengths substantially fills each gap disposed between each length included in the first plurality of lengths.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes an exposed surface of the object.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes a surface layer of a raft fabricated for the object.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes a first layer of the object.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes a first layer of a bridge fabricated for the object.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes a top layer of a base of the object.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially closed surface is a water-tight surface.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each one of the first plurality of lengths of build material is substantially parallel to each other one of the first plurality of lengths.

13 . A method for forming a portion of an object being fabricated in a three-dimensional fabrication process, comprising:
depositing build material around a two-dimensional cross-section of the object at a first z-axis height thereby forming a border of the object; depositing a plurality of lengths of build material within the border, the plurality of lengths deposited in a build pattern comprising:
at least two consecutive lengths of build material deposited directly adjacent to one another;
a third length of build material deposited directly after the two consecutive lengths, the third length located offset from the two consecutive lengths by a predetermined distance such that there is a gap between the two consecutive lengths and the third length; and
a fourth length of build material deposited in the gap between the two consecutive lengths and the third length; and
repeating the build pattern until a substantially closed surface is formed within the border.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the fourth length of build material substantially fills the gap between the two consecutive lengths and the third length.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the substantially closed surface is a water-tight surface.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined distance is less than a known width of a solidified length of build material.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes an exposed surface of the object.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the two-dimensional cross-section includes at least one of a surface layer of a raft fabricated for the object, a first layer of the object, a first layer of a bridge fabricated for the object, and a top layer of a base of the object.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of lengths of build material is substantially parallel to one another.

20 . A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer-executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
generating tool instructions for building a three-dimensional object with a three-dimensional fabrication process, the tool instructions comprising instructions for fabricating at least a portion of the object using a build pattern comprising:
depositing build material around a two-dimensional cross-section of the object at a first z-axis height thereby forming a border of the object;
depositing a first plurality of lengths of build material within the border, the first plurality of lengths spaced apart by a predetermined distance such that there is a gap disposed between each length included in the first plurality of lengths; and
depositing a second plurality of lengths of build material including individual lengths deposited in the gaps disposed between each length in the first plurality of lengths to create a substantially closed surface within the border.

Assignees

• Makerbot Ind Llc

Inventors

• Patrov Andrey V

Classifications

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/118 Primary

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C67/0074 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic